COMMERCIAL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 204, 2 July 1878, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

?ROM THE LYTTELTON TIMES. Christchurch, Friday Evening, GRAIN AND PRODUCE.

The record of the week's transactions has been singularly barren of anything demanding special notice. In every dopart'inent, with one or two exceptions, there -has been really nothing • doing, and the excessive quietness prevailing has occasioned much ' grumbling in the trade. The Waikato has cleared with, in addition to other cargo, some 8000 bags of wheat and flour.

Flour. —Following the easier value of wheat, we have to note a willingness on the part of millers to do business at a slight concession on former rates. Potatoes. —The .quantity brought forward is limited, and prices are consequently firm. 50s can.be readily got, and to complete shipments buyers-would advance a trifle on that price.

Grass Seed. —TheTe have been one or two enquiries for rye grass, for the north, without leading to business. The local demand is nil, both for rye grass and cocksfoot.

Dairy Produce. —Sales of really good butter have been made at 9d, and of fair quality at 8d ; cheese is worth s|d to 6d. Hams and bacon remain at previous rates.

The land sales for the month of June amounted to 52,290 acres, 20 perches, as follows :—Ashley, 14,784 acres 3 roods ; Selwyn, 9247 acres ; Akaroa, 3539 acres ; Ashburton, 11,472 acres 2 roods; Geraldine, 10,190 acres 1 rood 20 perches; Waimate, 3050 acres 2 roods, realising £104,580 ss.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report on the land and live' stock market, &c, fer the week ending Thursday, June 27, as follows :—Yesterday's sale of live stock at the MKTuoroLiTAN Yards was fully attended by buyers both town and country, and although in point of numbers, taken as a whole, the market was not a large one (more especially in cattle), yet there -.was a heavier supply of prime cross-bred .'.mutton to hand than it has been our . pleasure to submit to auction at thos-.e yards for some months past. Of the cattle market little can be said. 'The supply was small, comprising a fair proportion of beef of average quality— none really prime—in placing whicli wo noticed no quotable alteration in price, with a medium demand. Of store cattle there were very few on offer, and these sold at about late rates, with a dull sale, nor do we anticipate any improvement in trade for this class of cattle till the earl}' spring. Dairy cows and springers proved an important item in the da} T 's sale, a number of these changed hands at from £10 lOstoiilG each, for promising good inilehers. The total pinned for the day's sale included 6601 sheep, 174 head of cattle, and 74 pigs, of which outentry comprised 5190 sheep, 98 head of cattle, and 74 pigs.

Wool, Sheepskins, Hides, and Tallow. —At the usual weekly sale of the above, held this day, at our Canterbury Wool Stores, 5240 sheepskins, 102 bags butchers' rough fat, and 260 ox hides comprised the auction. There was the usual attendance, and competition was extremely brisk throughout the sale; the whole of the large entry (hides excepted) being quitted at prices as under:—Best butchers' cross breds made 5s 3d, 5s Gd, 5s 10d, 6s 2d, to Gs 6d each in large iines ; medium do, 3s 9d, 4s, 4s Gd, to 4s 10d ; best merino, 3s lOd. 4s, 4s 3d. 4s Bd, to 4s lid and 5s Gd ; medium do, 2s Gd, 3s, ro 3s 6d : country skins, 2s, 2a 9d, 3s Gd to 4s 3d, as per description. Rough fat.—Best dry, well saved, 2fd. 2|d, to 3d per lb ; medium do, 2d, to 2§il ; inferior and heated, to lfd Cask tallow, 28s per cwt. Hides, salted. —Part of entry sold at ; green, withdrawn at Calfskins sold at 5d

per lb. Canterbury Horse Market.— At Tattersall's on Saturday last, we submitted to auction 98 hordes, including a consignment from South Canterbury, for the day's sale. With few exceptions, the quality of these were below the average, and trade was dull in the extreme. We sold several heavy draught horses up to £55 each, and really useful buggy horses and hacks up to £25 and £30 each, but weedy and inferior animals were most difficult to quit at almost any price, and this we anticipate, will be the case until spring, as winter feed has probably not been more scarce than at the present time for many years. Our quotations are— Best heavy draughts, £45, £50 to £55 each ; medium do, £;32 to £40 ; upstanding hacks and carriage horses, £20, £25 to £30 ; ordinary do, £14 to £18 ; weeds various. CORN EXCHANGE EEPORT. The following is the report for thoweek ending Friday evening, June 28 : — Gkas3 Seed.—Eye grays of the firstquality is in better demand. There are few buyers at 6s per bushel. Medium is saleable at 5s to 5s 0d per bushel. There is a strong demand for cocksfoot. Holders are asking as high as 7d per lb. No business has been effected ai this rate. Potatoes are in increased demand. Export orders are freely coining to hand.

For pressing orders and extra fine samples, £3 17s Gd per ton has been paid. The farmers show no desire to sell at 50s per ton. To do" business higher rates would have to be paid.

Cheese and BuTTER.--There are enquiries for both cheese and butter. The quotation has not altered. :Cheese is in demand at s£d to Gd per lb. Butter in prime condition is in request at 9d-to lOd perlb.